My name is Laura and I'm the founder of Heiych.
Heiych was probably a bit of a solution to a problem. I had just had my second little boy and was juggling all the snacks, nappies. I needed to be hands-free.
I had a vision for a bag that did not exist. So it was drawing it at my kitchen table, different iterations, and then I actually went and bought fabric and handmade the first prototype myself because there was nothing else to base it on.
The system of converting from tote to backpack, that's what we wanted to protect. That's just very different from any other bag on the market.
A certified design can be a 2-step process. Firstly you can register your design, but then also seek to have it be enforceable.
I didn't actually pass straight away. Our drawings needed some iterations.
IP Australia conveyed that in writing, gave examples of how we could make it better. It felt like it was a collaboration and a team effort between the examiner and I.
Originally, Heiych was spelled H-E-Y-C-H and we had a trade mark registered for that, but unfortunately that trade mark was contested by a large overseas company.
It wasn't an option for us to fight this long legal battle. Not because we thought we'd lose the contest, but because we just wanted to focus on what matters. So that then meant we added an 'I' to our name, which I actually sort of see as something personal.
I think securing IP rights means that you're confident from the start. You are protected, so you can go about your business, take your product to market without needing to worry about others trying to take that brand.
In a few short years, Laura King had gone from working in the worlds of law and fashion to the fun, chaotic work of wrangling 2 busy little boys. While much in her life had changed, her sense of style hadn’t.
Her novel design, the H-Convert 3-in-1 Backpack Tote Bag, was a solution to a problem she was facing every day. It allowed her to carry the truckload of things that 2 kids need, in a chic designer handbag.
Laura’s brand, Heiych, has 2 trade marks and 3 design rights. It’s now growing with the peace of mind that intellectual property (IP) protection brings.
A unique design made in baby steps
When Laura was designing her first bag, she had luxury and practicality in mind. She wanted a tote that could change to a backpack when she needed her hands free. She also wanted to do it with a simple pull of the strap – with no fiddly clasps.
‘I did really struggle in those early days to just find balance and presence with my kids, with all the chaos of everything else going on and sleep routines and feeding,’ Laura recalls. ‘Once I had the bag, it honestly did change my mum life because I felt more in control, I felt organised, I still felt like me, and that I had something beautiful that was just for me.’
She grabbed any precious spare minutes she could to work on her idea. She sketched her designs at the kitchen bench while her boys ran around. She sewed prototypes with fabric from the craft shop and spent hours getting the measurements right. There were dozens of tiny details to perfect, and very little time to spend on it.
‘I think that you can take just a little step every day in the right direction and it's amazing to see what can come of that,’ Laura reflects. ‘That's completely how Heiych started. Every day I would do one thing to move the needle.’
Protecting IP rights like adding to cart
With her bag finally a reality, Laura began the process of building her brand. Although she had a background in law, IP was new to her. Fortunately, she found the experience of registering her trade mark to be very familiar – as easy as online shopping.
'I found the IP Australia website to be just a wealth of information,’ Laura says. ‘I was just able to do my research and figure out the classes and the categories and the registration process itself online is so seamless. It's like checking out to buy something online.’
Heiych’s trade marks are registered in 4 classes, covering not only the bags but also the features, such as zippers, and the retail space, in case she one day opens a store.
But 6 months after launching the brand, as it was beginning to gain traction, Laura’s trade mark was opposed by a large overseas company. She engaged professional help and made the difficult decision to change the name rather than fight back.
‘We just wanted to focus on what matters,’ Laura explains. ‘And as a small business, for us, that was definitely our customers and definitely our product.’
Today, she loves the new name, which adds the letter ‘I’ to Heiych. It’s fitting that she is represented in the brand along with her boys, whose names beginning with ‘H’ were the inspiration.
Design rights as human-made proof
Staying ahead of the game was also important to Laura when it came to securing design rights. The fast-moving fashion world is notorious for ‘dupes’ – or imitations – and her design was unlike anything else on the market.
After Laura submitted her first application, she was asked to submit new drawings. However, she didn’t see it as a setback and actually enjoyed working with the examiner to meet the requirements.
‘I felt very supported,’ she says. ‘Even to the extent that I could call the examiner if I needed to, to ask any questions.’
Laura took the additional step of certifying her designs, giving her the right to take legal action against anyone who uses them without permission. Her 3 certified designs are a source of personal pride and make good business sense.
‘We put the sketches on our website so that people know this is coming from a human ... a lot of thought goes into that process and how it can make a woman's life more effortless,’ she says.
'And it does give me that confidence in running our business to know that they're protected for all to see.'
A brand and a family growing up
One year after its launch, Heiych has sold more than 1,000 bags. The range has grown to include another novel design, which converts from a bag to a pram caddy, and new colours. Laura tells her boys they can achieve anything they work towards, and she’s living it with Heiych.
With solid IP foundations in place, Laura is excited to think about where the business will be in another year.
‘Securing IP rights means that you're confident from the start ... you are protected so you can go about your business,’ she says.
‘It's not a complete shield, but you're able to navigate growth quite easily. You can take your product to market without needing to worry about others trying to take that brand.’
Learn more about Heiych by visiting the website.